


Encounter on Kaldor

by a_walking_shadow



Category: Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Audio 02.01: Escape from Kaldor, Blair Kenneth is adorable and must be protected at all costs, Gen, Kaldor, Thank you Rae for letting me play with your characters for a while!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-16 08:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18517492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_walking_shadow/pseuds/a_walking_shadow
Summary: Blair and the Master land on Kaldor: half supply trip, half holiday. Blair makes a new friend... but she might not approve of the company Blair's been keeping.





	Encounter on Kaldor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rae_marie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rae_marie/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Revisionist History, Volume One](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15713976) by [rae_marie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rae_marie/pseuds/rae_marie). 



> THANK YOU to rae for letting me play with these characters. Blair is hers, from her brilliant Echoes in the Universe series. If you haven't read it, go do that now. It's an absolutely amazing series which deserves way more love and attention. 
> 
> For Blair, this is set sometime soon after the end of Revisionist History. For Liv, this is set during her year on Kaldor during Ravenous s2 ep 1 "Escape from Kaldor".

The moment the time rotor stopped moving, Blair grabbed the Master’s hand and tugged him towards the doors of the TARDIS. 

‘You’re very keen, Blair’, he told her, chuckling.

‘Of course I am!’ After all that business with the Taft machine, he had promised her a holiday: one with absolutely no chance of rogue time lords or anyone else interfering in their trip. It had taken him days- well, several day/night cycles in the TARDIS, although she wasn’t entirely sure if those were the same as earth days- to decide on somewhere safe enough. She’d enjoyed herself in that time, of course, but still. The TARDIS library was brilliant, but it wasn’t the same as actually visiting other worlds.

The doors swung open before they even reached them, almost like the TARDIS herself was encouraging them. Blair grinned even wider, and practically skipped the last few steps, out into the world beyond…

And froze in amazement. ‘Wow! This place is beautiful!’ They had emerged into a glittering alleyway- literally. The buildings on either side of the road were fronted with glass, throwing light in a myriad of directions, with the metal supports shining brightly. Even the road itself almost appeared to be speckled with stars. People were scurrying around in the nearby buildings, all looking impossibly glamorous (and sparkly), waited upon by shining robots. To Blair, it looked like a futuristic fairy tale.

‘Welcome to Kaldor’, The Master told her, linking his arm through hers and beginning to stride down the street. ‘It started out as a mining colony, and became very wealthy because of it, hence the creation of cities like this one.’

Blair glanced curiously into one of the nearby rooms, wishing for a moment that she’d brought sunglasses, the glare was so bright. A very human-like robot waiter bowed slightly in acknowledgement when she made eye contact, then returned to serving drinks. She found herself shuddering, slightly. ‘Are those robots sentient? They’re kind of freaky, with how realistic they look!’

The Master looked surprised at her question. ‘There’s nothing to fear from them, Blair. Their programming doesn’t allow them to harm people, if that’s what you’re worried about. Every malfunction has been recorded in detail. We’ve got several months in both directions.’

She grinned sheepishly. ‘Well, that does always seem to happen in sci-fi stories. Good to know it doesn’t happen too often in real life, though.’

He spun sharply, and led her into one of the buildings. This one was larger than most of the ones they had passed, and it soon became clear why. Once inside, they found themselves in an enormous, cavernous space, with what looked like hundreds of vendors attempting to sell their wares. Humans and robots alike bartered from both sides of the stalls over everything ranging from food to clothing to pieces of technology she couldn’t even imagine the uses for.

‘What is this place?’ she asked.

‘It’s the largest market in Kaldor City’, he told her. See over there?’ Following his gesture, she noticed a glass viewing panel in the floor, and through it, several dusty looking robots unloading enormous crates of something, all several floors below ground level. ‘Some of the smaller, privately owned sandminers are bringing in their loads. The Founding Families have their own docks, but everyone else comes here.’

‘It looks so chaotic!’

‘Ah, but there’s order to it, if you know what you’re looking for.’ He scooped up an electronic device of some kind, and handed it to her. ‘Here, you see? Map of the building. It’s perfectly logical.’

Cautiously, she took the device, with a red blinking dot near the entrance. That must be us, she assumed. Sure enough, when she tapped on one of the nearby stalls, it brought up a name and a list of objects. She assumed the TARDIS translation circuits were still working, but she was only able to make sense of about one word in five. She tapped on one of the food stalls instead, and was relieved to find a menu that made somewhat more sense.

‘Well, do you think you can amuse yourself for a few hours?’ She froze.

‘You aren’t staying, Master?’

‘Unfortunately not, my dear. There are a few things I need to collect- the TARDIS could use some maintenance work, and this is one of the easiest places to find what I need.’

‘I could help you look?’

He hesitated. ‘I doubt that would be much fun. After all, I’m looking for some rather bizarre pieces of technology.’

Blair shrugged. ‘It’ll be like a treasure hunt, won’t it? And besides, if I’m looking around an alien market, I may as well investigate it properly!’

The Master smiled, slightly, then dug around in his pockets for a moment, before producing a list which he tore in half. She took the bottom piece, and glanced at the names. Very few of them made sense.

‘Are you sure about this?’

‘Absolutely,’ she replied. ‘Although, I don’t suppose I get any money with which to buy-’ she glanced at her list- ‘a quarter of an emm of lucanol?’

He reached into his pockets again, this time withdrawing something that looked a bit like a credit card, and passed it to her. ‘See you soon, Blair’.

 

* * *

 

Whatever her normal reservations about shopping, the market was _fantastic_. Blair had never seen anything like it before. A young man peddling engine oil shared tent space with someone selling a glowing blue fruit that tasted like cupcake batter, which was in turn bordering a silent robot surrounded by flashing advertisements for hovercars. If there was any overarching plan to the place, it was well beyond Blair’s comprehension. She didn’t care, though. She’d managed to waste hours wandering, eventually managing to check off almost all the items on her list. Quite a few of them were apparently very large, but the Master had told her to have them delivered to the alleyway the TARDIS was parked in. If any of the stallholders found it odd that she wanted them to send their wares to a random sculpture in a nearby alleyway, they said nothing about it.

She was beginning to get tired, though, so it was with some relief that she found herself face to face with a larger food stall, one which actually had some seating. She stood back for a moment, considering their menu.

‘Hey. You need a hand there?’

Blair jumped and spun to face the new arrival. The woman looked completely normal in her surroundings, with brown hair just scraping her shoulders and a battered grey shirt which Blair couldn’t help but feel was meant to be a rebellion against the overarching shininess of everything outside. However, something about her just seemed to stand out of the crowd.

‘I, um, think I’m fine, thanks’, Blair told her. ‘I just arrived and I was trying to decide what to have.’

‘Just arrived?’ The woman asked, smiling. ‘Come in on one of the cargo ships? I didn’t realise there were any arriving today.’

‘No, my friend- he has his own ship’, Blair said quickly. ‘But we’re only visiting briefly. We travel a lot, but just this once nothing seems to be exploding. It’s kind of nice.’

The woman gave her a very odd look, and seemed to be struggling for words. Eventually, she offered, ‘and I’m guessing you’re usually too busy being imprisoned by evil overlords to put much thought into food.’

Blair found herself nodding. ‘Pretty much. Any advice?’

‘Fried things are good. No one can screw up fried things, in my experience.’

‘So, donut on a stick?’

‘That’s probably your best bet, yeah.’

 

A few minutes later, the two of them settled down at one of the tables, each armed with something which appeared to consist mainly of sugar. ‘I’m Blair’, she said, in between bites.

‘Nice to meet you. I’m Medtech Liv Chenka, Liv to my friends.’

‘Medtech? Is that, like, a doctor?’

Liv grinned. ‘Not exactly. I’d like to think its better, since I can handle both people and machines. Often both at the same time, which- well. That’s more than can be said for some people.’

‘So, you… have a bit of experience of being imprisoned by evil overlords, then?’ Blair hazarded, eyeing the woman curiously. For all that she looks completely ordinary, there’s something very odd about this conversation, and Blair can’t help but feel she might have met a fellow traveller.

‘Oh, tell me about it. Seriously, what is it with the evil ones always kidnapping you and locking you up? Not that I’m complaining, that is, it’s nice when they don’t try to kill you outright. There was this one guy- complete and utter asshole, really should be locked up- he kidnapped me and my friend Molly and dragged us around for weeks. I can’t even understand why he wanted me there, it’s not like I was even part of his plan.’

‘That sounds rough’, Blair replies. ‘I think I’ve lost count of how many different rogue time lords have tried to abduct me by now!’

Liv smiles. ‘Oh, I knew you were travelling with him’, she murmurs. ‘Do I need to be on the lookout for robots going AWOL, then?’

‘No, no, we’re just here for supplies’, Blair assures her. ‘And he promised that we’ve got several months before anything like that happens again.’

‘So it does still happen’, Liv sighs. ‘Great. Just when I thought I might’ve run out of genocidal maniacs for the year.’ Blair finds herself laughing. 

It’s strange, though- she can’t quite imagine Liv’s cynicism being something the Master would particularly enjoy. Maybe Liv just knows a different version of him. Blair makes a mental note to ask the Master if he knows Medtech Liv Chenka. The woman seems like she’d be a useful person to have on your side.

‘Do you want to see something cool?’ Blair jolts back into the present, and glances over at Liv. She’s finished her fried… thing… and is in the process of trying to clean her hands on a scrap of cloth that seems to be absolutely covered in engine oil. After a moment, she gives up and wipes them on her pants instead.

‘What?’

‘There are some mountains near here. I used to climb them with my dad, when I was little. Watch the sunset over the city. It’s an impressive view.’

Blair hesitates for a moment, checking her watch. She’s still got a few hours before she’s supposed to meet the Master again, and it’s not like she’s doing anything dangerous.

‘Sure, that sounds like fun!’

 

* * *

 

Liv leads her through a twisting mess of corridors, and for a few minutes Blair finds herself wondering if she’s made an enormous mistake in trusting Liv. They emerge into sunlight again soon enough, though, this time near the edge of the city. It’s built into a rock formation, towering over an apparently endless desert. The view is just as breathtaking as her first glimpse of the city- although it almost makes the city even more impressive, seeing what it was built from.

Her new friend is scrambling over the rocky outcrop like a mountain goat, and Blair scurries to keep up. Soon enough, they drop down behind a particularly large cluster of boulders, and almost literally stumble over a small skimmer or shuttle, half covered by sand. Liv heaves at the side of it, and the door springs open, covering them both in a fine layer of sand.

‘Sorry’, Liv says, between coughs. ‘It’s been a while since I came out here.’ Blair rubs sand out of her eyes, fighting back a laugh. ‘It’s alright. I’m still cleaner than I get on an average trip in the TARDIS.’

Following Liv’s instructions, she scrambles into the back of the skimmer. It’s a tight fit, but the seat is surprisingly comfortable once she’s in. Suddenly, with a deafening roar, it comes to life, and the shoot forward, over the sand. Blair’s startled yelp is almost lost in the cacophony of the engines. Liv’s laugh disappears entirely, but Blair only needs to catch a glimpse of her wide grin to get the message.

‘Did you have to do that?’ she shouts over.

Liv shrugs, then sends them flying sideways, turning towards one of the mountains. Blair clings on for dear life. ‘Maybe not, but it’s a lot more fun!’

 

‘You’re a kind of insane driver, you know that, right?’ Blair asks, once they’ve disembarked and she’s had a moment to pull herself back together.

‘At least I do know how to drive,’ Liv replies. ‘Unlike one idiot who stole a TARDIS.’

‘He stole it?’

‘What, you thought the Time Lords actually gave him that thing willingly?’

‘… fair point.’

 

* * *

 

‘Impressive, isn’t it’, Liv says, once they’ve settled down, facing back towards the city. The sun shines across at the level of the very tallest buildings, lighting their peaks in gold. Blair finds herself wishing she had brought a camera with her.

‘It is!’ Blair glances over at the other woman. ‘Is this home for you, then? You mentioned coming here with your dad.’

‘It is, yeah. It took me a while to come back, and I’m not planning on staying. How about you? Earth, I’d guess?’

‘What gave it away?’ Blair asks, curiously. Liv just shrugs. ‘Molly was from there, sometime in World War One. So’s Helen, she’s from 1963. It seems like he likes to pick up humans, and especially humans from Earth.’ Blair fights back a scowl. She knows, logically, that the Master has probably travelled with other people before- and maybe will again, after she’s gone, although she doesn’t want to think about that. Hearing it said so blatantly is still a bit of a shock. Liv seems to pick up on her hesitation.

‘Don’t worry, you’re not going to get kicked out. I’m here because I asked to be. We came back here after- well, for a holiday, really. Not a very good one though. I asked to stay behind for a year, see if I could fix some of the problems here as well as way out there.’

‘And is it working?’

Liv shrugs. ‘Something is happening. I’m not sure it’s change, really, but it’s a start. As it is, I’m just finding it weird being home. It’ll be nice to be travelling again. How about you? Any plans on heading back?’

Blair glances down at her hands, and forces her voice not to shake. ‘I can’t.’

‘What?’

‘I’m supposed to be dead. I can’t go home or I’ll break the web of time, or something like that.’

‘Oh. I’m- I’m sorry.’

Blair shrugs, and forces herself to smile. ‘At least I get the rest of the universe.’

‘I suppose there’s that.’

They fall into silence for a while, staring out towards the sunset. The city itself is now shining so brightly it’s almost painful to look at.

‘Did I tell you about that time Molly and I got kidnapped by a time lord?’

Blair jerks, slightly, at the interruption. ‘Not in detail, no.’

‘Well.’ Liv shifts slightly, attempting to make herself comfortable against the rock she’s leaning on. ‘The Master, probably angry at the universe for failing to provide a cure for his baldness or something-’

Blair laughs. ‘Bald? You’re kidding! The Master isn’t bald!’

Liv just shrugs. ‘Different body, then. The first time I met the Doctor, he was a short guy with an umbrella. The one I was travelling with is completely different.’

Oh, Blair thinks. Oops.

‘You travelled with the Doctor?’

‘Yeah, didn’t you?’

‘Um.’

‘What do you mean by that, Blair?’

‘BLAIR!’ a new voice calls, and she fights down the urge to rest her head in her hands. ‘Sorry. His sense of dramatic timing is kind of ridiculous.’

Liv still looks confused, so, grudgingly, Blair calls down to him. ‘I’m up here, Master!’

Liv’s face somehow manages to go through the five stages of grief in approximately two seconds, before settling on disbelief.

‘Blair! How did you get up here? I got worried when you weren’t still in the market, I thought I might’ve miscalculated and you could’ve been in danger- you made a new friend?’

‘Yeah. Uh, this is Liv,’ she says. ‘Liv, this is the Master.’

‘Oh,’ Liv growls. ‘We’ve met. Not in this body, but we’ve met.’

‘Well, charmed to make your acquaintance’, he offers, either oblivious to or deliberately ignoring the seething rage coming off of Liv in waves. ‘Unfortunately, Blair and I have a rather pressing commitment with a star going supernova in the andromeda system, so we should really be heading off.’

Blair grins, at that, and goes to join him, but Liv grabs hold of her arm.

‘Let me go!’

‘What, and let him go and chuck you into a sun? Absolutely no way.’

Blair gapes at her. ‘The Master wouldn’t do that! He’s my friend!’

‘You- you really trust him? Him? He’s the one who kidnapped me! He tried to kill me I don’t know how many times!’

‘Well, I don’t know who you’re talking about’, Blair says firmly. ‘Because he’s my friend and he doesn’t just kidnap and kill people!’

‘Oh, this is a new low,’ Liv spits. ‘Messing with the heads of little kids. And I thought what you did to Dr Armstrong was bad.’

‘I assure you,’ The Master says, ‘I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.’

‘Probably because you’ve ruined so many lives, I doubt any of them stand out any more’, Liv hisses at him. ‘Unless you haven’t met me yet, in which case I should really do myself a favour and prevent that from ever happening!’

‘That would be inadvisable’, the Master says, carefully taking a step forward. Liv tightens her grip on Blair’s arm, looking absolutely furious, so he stops moving. ‘You’re one of the Doctor’s companions, I assume? Few others have such ingrained vitriol towards me. But, I assure you, I have no idea who you are or what you’re talking about. In the interests of avoiding any headache-inducing paradoxes, I really think the best thing to do here is if you release my friend and let us go on our way.’ He offers a hand to Blair, who tries to tug herself forward. Liv doesn’t release her, though.

‘Don’t worry, Liv. The Master would never hurt me. I don’t know what happened to you, but I’m perfectly safe with him, I promise.’

Liv stares at her, shocked, then shifts her eyes to the Master. He’s got his TCE drawn, but it’s pointed very firmly at the ground. Liv seems very shaken by this.

‘No’, she says, eventually. ‘I can’t quite believe I’m saying this, I don’t think he would.’

‘Thank you’, the Master says, sincerely. ‘Blair?’

She scurries forward. This time, Liv makes no move to stop her.

The Master wraps an arm gently around Blair’s shoulders. ‘Come on. Let’s get back to the TARDIS.’ She nods, then glances over at Liv.

‘see you round, maybe?’ she offers.

Liv still looks startled, but nods. ‘Yeah. Maybe. It’s a big universe, though. Be careful, Blair.’

‘You too.’

The two of them set off down the hill. Liv watches them go, for a moment, before calling out.

‘Blair!’

‘Yes, Liv?’

‘If he ever- well, I don’t think it’ll happen, but if you ever need help, come find me, okay? I promise, I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe, if I have to.’

Blair frowns, but nods. It’s clear that the other woman means well, even if she seems to hate the Master so much.

She takes the Master’s hand, and together, they start climbing back down the mountain.

 

* * *

 

‘Why does the Doctor hate you so much, Master?’ They’re back in the TARDIS, now. The supplies they found are all stacked in the corner of the console room, so Blair and the Master have retreated to the library instead.

He frowns into his tea. ‘I’m really not sure. We were such good friends, once, and I can’t quite work out where it all went wrong.’ Blair nods, hands curled around her own mug. ‘She seemed so scared of you. I don’t understand why.’

‘I don’t know, either. Maybe something happens, in the future, and I change. Maybe she has a reason.’

Blair shakes her head, slightly. ‘I’m not going to let that happen. Not as long as I’m here.’

He smiles. ‘You’ve got nothing to fear from me, Blair. I promise you that.’

‘Oh, I know.’ She pauses. ‘You mentioned a supernova?’

He laughs, and stands up. ‘Why, yes, I suppose I did’. He offers her a hand, and she takes it, and they begin the long trek back towards the console room. ‘Did I ever tell you about sunsets on Gallifrey? They put that Kaldor one to shame, they really do. Two suns, with whole hillsides glowing like they’re on fire…’

Blair smiles as her friend rambles, the walls of the TARDIS humming slightly in the background. Just the two of them, off to see the universe. She’s not quite sure how it could get any better.


End file.
